Scalise named interim borough manager in Kennett Square

10/22/2014 07:53PM
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By Lev

By Steven Hoffman

Staff Writer

Joseph Scalise, Kennett Square’s director of public works, has
been selected to serve as the interim borough manager.

Kennett Square Borough Council unanimously approved the
appointment on Monday night, the last public meeting for current borough
manager Brant Kucera, who announced last month that he is leaving to accept a
city manager position for Cannon Beach, Oregon. Scalise will serve as interim
borough manager until the search for a new borough manager is completed. The
borough has retained Peter Marshall and Associates to assist with the search
process.

Regarding the selection of Scalise as the interim borough
manager, Kucera said that he fully supported the appointment because having an
interim borough manager would maintain the channel of communication between the
town’s administration and borough council.

Kucera said that he is confident that Scalise will do a good
job as interim borough manager, an opinion that was echoed by council member
Dan Maffei.

“If you look at every substantial project in the borough, Joe
is involved in just about every single one,” Maffei said. “I feel he will do a
very good job until a permanent borough manager is hired.”

Borough Council presented Kucera with a framed commendation
for his six years of service to the town, and they also shared kind words about
his job performance.

Council member Geoff Bosley said that Kucera is leaving Kennett
Square much better off than the way he found it when he arrived. Several
residents also expressed their gratitude for Kucera's work during the meeting.

The borough manager, in turn, reiterated how much he enjoyed
working with the staff.

“The last six years have been a wonderful time here,” he said.
“This is a fantastic group, top to bottom. This has been the best place I have
ever worked.”

Kucera recommended that borough council also appoint Karen
Scherer, the assistant to the business manager, as the designated Open Records
Officer, which is the person who responds to all right-to-know requests. Kucera
said that Scherer could fill this position on a permanent basis, not an interim
one. Council approved this appointment, too.

Borough council also approved the Capital Improvement Plan for
2014-2018, which includes more than $10 million in projects that range from
streetscape work for West Cypress Street to water meter replacements to an
expansion of the town’s parking garage. Some of the projects in the plan are
already nearing completion, while others are dependent on the borough’s ability
to secure funding at some point during the five years.

One project that Kucera wants the borough to move forward with
for next year is providing the funding—$600,000—for the Kennett Fire Company to
purchase a new ladder truck. The borough is splitting the cost with Kennett
Township. Kucera noted that the current ladder truck is 18 years old, and will
be 20 years old before a new truck is acquired, which is about how long a
ladder truck is expected to be serviceable. Kucera said that the proposed 2015
budget includes a millage rate increase to pay for the borough's share of the
costs.

Council member Dan Maffei noted that the Capital Improvement
Plan is just a planning document and does not authorize the actual spending of
any money.

“A lot of these are contingent upon receiving grant money,”
added Bosley.

Bosley said that the Finance Committee is passing along a
recommendation to borough council to require residents to sign up for the Swift
alert system, which provides emergency information to residents.

Mary Hutchins, the executive director of Historic Kennett
Square, said that there is now an agreement in place to operate a shuttle
between Kennett Square and Longwood Gardens during Saturdays between
Thanksgiving and Christmas. The shuttle serves the dual purpose of helping
Longwood Gardens alleviate some traffic congestion during its busiest times of
the year, while Kennett Square gets to promote its shops and restaurants for
visitors who are heading to Longwood Gardens.

The shuttle will be limited to 80 people on the first Saturday
and 300 people on the Saturdays after that. The shuttle will run at 4 p.m. and
7 p.m., the busiest times for Longwood’s light displays.

“There’s no financial obligation for either historic Kennett
Square or the borough,” Hutchins explained.

During his council president's report, Spencer announced that
Halloween is being celebrated with a parade on Sunday, Oct. 26 and
trick-or-treat night on Oct. 31 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.